Two Russian Airliners Crash

[maddogchen]

Top Stories - AP
Report: Two Russian Airliners Crash

4 minutes ago


By STEVE GUTTERMAN, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW - Two Russian airliners carrying a total of more than 100 people crashed almost simultaneously south of Moscow, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported Tuesday. There was no word on survivors.

The first plane was carrying 54 passengers and a crew of eight when it crashed in the Tula region near the village of Buchalki, the agency said, citing a duty officer at the regional center for civil defense and emergencies. The Tula region is about 110 miles south of Moscow.

The second plane was carrying 44 people when it crashed near Rostov, the agency said, citing an Inter-State Aviation Committee official. Rostov is about 600 miles south of Moscow.

Both planes were Tupolev Tu-154 jets, the standard medium-range airliner on domestic flights in Russia, other former Soviet states, Iran and parts of eastern Europe, according to the Web site Airliners.net.

In Washington, a senior U.S. State Department official said, "We are obviously concerned by the news. We're following developments closely and trying to determine the facts."

Text

edit: conflicting reports all over the place
Sad, hope there are survivors.

more details:

The first plane disappeared from radar at 10:56 p.m. (2:56 p.m. ET), the news agency said.

The Tupolev-134 had taken off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport and was en route to Volgograd, in southern Russia.

The spokeswoman said the wreckage was located ablaze and that no one survived.

The second plane, a Tupolev-154, disappeared from radar at 10:59 p.m. (2:59 p.m. ET) after having taken off from the same airport en route to Sochi, a tourist resort on the Black Sea in southern Russia, the ministry spokeswoman reported.

 

[jjzelinski]

I remember a period bck in the mid to late nineties where a bunch of US aircraft were colliding into eachother all over the world. This was over a period of several months. Anyone else recall this?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: jjzelinski
I remember a period bck in the mid to late nineties where a bunch of US aircraft were colliding into eachother all over the world. This was over a period of several months. Anyone else recall this?

Not collisions, just a string of crashes. It was around the time of the Valuejet crash into the Florida Eveglades.

These Russian planes appear to have been at least 450 miles apart.

Can be anything at this point, bad weather, bad fuel, etc.

 

[myusername]

Witnesses reported seeing the plane explode before it crashed, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Move along! Nothing to see here! Happens all the time!

 

[RabidMongoose]

Chechens?

 

[NeoV]

Is the 2nd craft confirmed down, or just lost contact?

Smells fishy

 

[conjur]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-08/25/content_1877543.htm

 

[arsbanned]

Sad, hope there are survivors.

When jets nose dive into the ground at 500 miles per hour there are seldom many survivors.

 

[bamacre]

Two planes at the same time? Damn, I hate to say it, but probably a terrorist attack.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Two planes at the same time? Damn, I hate to say it, but probably a terrorist attack.

Hi-Jacking signal was activated before they lost contact with the second plane.

Very odd, what did the Terrorist's accomplish???

8-24-2004 L=Russian Jet Sent Hijack Signal ]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040825/ap_on_re_eu/russia_plane_crash&cid=518&ncid=716[/L]

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that a hijacking signal was activated on the second plane before it went missing. The signal came at 11:04 p.m. from the Tu-154 airliner

Authorities have expressed concern that separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya (news - web sites) could carry out attacks linked to this Sunday's presidential election there. Rebels have been blamed for a series of terror strikes that have claimed hundreds of lives.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: bamacre
Two planes at the same time? Damn, I hate to say it, but probably a terrorist attack.

Hi-Jacking signal was activated before they lost contact with the second plane.

Very odd, what did the Terrorist's accomplish???

8-24-2004 L=Russian Jet Sent Hijack Signal ]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040825/ap_on_re_eu/russia_plane_crash&cid=518&ncid=716[/L]

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that a hijacking signal was activated on the second plane before it went missing. The signal came at 11:04 p.m. from the Tu-154 airliner

Authorities have expressed concern that separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya (news - web sites) could carry out attacks linked to this Sunday's presidential election there. Rebels have been blamed for a series of terror strikes that have claimed hundreds of lives.

With any luck this signals the end of airline hijacking. I doubt pilots or passengers are going to allow planes to be flown intoever buildings again.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: bamacre
Two planes at the same time? Damn, I hate to say it, but probably a terrorist attack.

Hi-Jacking signal was activated before they lost contact with the second plane.

Very odd, what did the Terrorist's accomplish???

8-24-2004 L=Russian Jet Sent Hijack Signal ]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040825/ap_on_re_eu/russia_plane_crash&cid=518&ncid=716[/L]

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that a hijacking signal was activated on the second plane before it went missing. The signal came at 11:04 p.m. from the Tu-154 airliner

Authorities have expressed concern that separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya (news - web sites) could carry out attacks linked to this Sunday's presidential election there. Rebels have been blamed for a series of terror strikes that have claimed hundreds of lives.

With any luck this signals the end of airline hijacking. I doubt pilots or passengers are going to allow planes to be flown intoever buildings again.

True Dat, Hooah. The Pilots probably ditched the planes.

 

[SLCentral]

This is horrible...whether it was a terrorist attack or not. It's strange though, the lack of attention of such news on this site.

 

[DeeKnow]

what is almost as sad is that we will probably never hear the truth... the communists may be gone, but the country is run by pretty much the same bunch of criminals

 

[tnitsuj]

Just have to keep in mind..these are Russians we are talking about...not known for thier meticulous civil aviation standards or willingness to accept responsibility for disasters. Remember how they tried to blame us for the Kursk.

just a thought

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: bamacre
Two planes at the same time? Damn, I hate to say it, but probably a terrorist attack.

Hi-Jacking signal was activated before they lost contact with the second plane.

Very odd, what did the Terrorist's accomplish???

8-24-2004 L=Russian Jet Sent Hijack Signal ]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040825/ap_on_re_eu/russia_plane_crash&cid=518&ncid=716[/L]

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that a hijacking signal was activated on the second plane before it went missing. The signal came at 11:04 p.m. from the Tu-154 airliner

Authorities have expressed concern that separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya (news - web sites) could carry out attacks linked to this Sunday's presidential election there. Rebels have been blamed for a series of terror strikes that have claimed hundreds of lives.

What didn't they accomplish? They are making every Russian fear to fly now, and caused the death of 90+ people.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: tnitsuj
Just have to keep in mind..these are Russians we are talking about...not known for thier meticulous civil aviation standards or willingness to accept responsibility for disasters. Remember how they tried to blame us for the Kursk.

just a thought

If they didn't take off from the same airport and crash at about the same time I'd agree. Russian aviation is known for just flying boxtraps around and just hoping they make it.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: myusername

Witnesses reported seeing the plane explode before it crashed, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Move along! Nothing to see here! Happens all the time!

We will have to wait and see. Talk to any FAA or NTSB investigator they will tell you there is always a witness that reports flames or an explosion.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. I highly doubt contaminiated fuel. The planes went down 100 miles form the airport. Typically when weather effects a jet aircraft it is usually on takeoff and landing where it is most susceptible. Had the fuel been a problem, there would have been plenty of time to radio and the plane can still be controlled wihtout engines running.

from the article:

However, Interfax quoted a Russian security source who said one of the planes, the Tu-154, transmitted a signal indicating a hijacking was under way before the plane crashed.

The source also told Interfax a criminal investigation has been opened in the case after an air traffic controller reported receiving information that an attack had been made on the crew of the second airliner.

 

[dmcowen674]

Looking at the photos coming in now it is very apparent that at least one of the planes was flown into the ground, the engines are side by side.

 

[GoPackGo]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Looking at the photos coming in now it is very apparent that at least one of the planes was flown into the ground, the engines are side by side.

Odds point to a terrorist attack...

Also these Chechnya separatist rebels are muslim extremists.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: GoPackGo

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Looking at the photos coming in now it is very apparent that at least one of the planes was flown into the ground, the engines are side by side.

Odds point to a terrorist attack...

Also these Chechnya separatist rebels are muslim extremists.

"muslim extremists"

Wonderful

 

[Martin]

Tu-154, huh? I flew in one of those once and I spent the entire flight praying for my life.

 

[conehead433]

Might not be too smart for any Muslims to instigate terrorists attacks against Russia. There is a reason you don't hear about too many of such attacks. The Russians had caught some Muslim terrorists before and castrated them before sending them to meet Allah. This didn't bode well for the muslims who believed they would be servicing virgins when they met up with Allah.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: conehead433
Might not be too smart for any Muslims to instigate terrorists attacks against Russia. There is a reason you don't hear about too many of such attacks. The Russians had caught some Muslim terrorists before and castrated them before sending them to meet Allah. This didn't bode well for the muslims who believed they would be servicing virgins when they met up with Allah.

worst way to die, ever, bleeding to death from castration......

 

[CaptnKirk]

This mornings speculation was on fuel contamination.

I suspect that gravity had a lot to do with it.